Battery support



H. L. ANDREWS BATTERY .SUPPORTv Filed Feb. 19, 192e 2 sheets-sheet 1 Nov. 23 1926. a 1,607,598

H. L. ANDREWS BATTERY SUPPORT Filed Feb.l 19, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Nov. 23, 1926.

HENRY L. ANDREWS, F BURKEFrSOUTH DAKOTA..

BATTERY surroar.'

Application led February 19, 1926. vSerial No. 89,476. y

This invention relates to battery su ports and more particularly to a support a apted to be carried byl a motor vehicle to support the storage battery thereof. l

o It is the usual practice to mount storage battery containers or 'sup orts on a motor vehicle an to provide t ey supports with clamping members at their upper ends adapted to be clamped downwardly against the handles of the batteries to secure the latter firmly in position. It has been found, however, that regardless of how securely the battery is maintained in position, the jarring of the vehicle and other causes cooperl5 ate to break and crack thesealing material at the up er end of the battery when the 'battery is c amped in position in the manner indicated. f

An important object of the present invention is to provide an efficient battery support for securely holding the battery in position without causin any injury thereto.

A further o ject is tol rovide a battery support wherein the usua handle clamping means is eliminated, the sides of the battery being clamped to secure the battery in position.

A further object is to provide a battery support formed of resilient sheet" metal or mythe like having clamping means associated therewith whereby portions of the support are clamped against the sides of the battery to maintain 1t in position, -the clamping means being releasable to permit the battery readily to be removed from the support.

`A further Objectis to provide a battery support adapted to be secured to the frame or other part of the vehicle and preferably formed of resilient sheet metal or the like, atleast a pair of opposite sides of the support being adapted to be drawn inwardly to clamp against the sides of the battery to maintain it in position, the support including a lower shelf portion extending beneath the bottom ofthe battery.

A further object is to provide clam ing means for a battery support of the a ve mentioned character wherein a single movement of an operating member is adapted to effect the clamping action, `the clampin means being adapted to remain in clampe position until manually released. v

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent during the course of the followin description.

In the drawings I have shown two embodiments'o the invention. In this showmg:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the bat- Fi ure 4 is a detail perspective of a modi-- fiedI orm of operating member, y

Figure 5 is a side elevation of a modified form. of support, i

Figure 6 is a plan view of the same, and,

Figure 7 is a detail perspective of a modified form of clamping bar and operating means therefor.

Referring to the drawings the numeral 10 designates a portion of the frame of a motor vehicle of the usual construction to whiclra battery support 11. is adapted to be secured. The support 11 1s preferably formed of heavy gage sheet metal possessing at least a slight degree of resiliency for apurpose to be described. The support is referably integral and includes a pair of endp The end plates 12 are integral with depend- 1ng arms 13 which are connected b a horizontal lower strap 14 which isa apted to support the battery, as will be apparent. Each of the side plates 12 is provided with an integral stamped-in lip 15, and these lips are adapted to Contact with the rear face of the battery. The end plates are further pro: vided with integral lips 16 turned 'outwardly therefrom and riveted or otherwise secured to the frame 10 as at 17. In order to further secure the support to the frame, :the side plates also may be provided with inwardly turned lips 18 riveted or otherwise secured to the frame as at 19.

One of the end lates 12 is provided with a pair of inward y extending spaced lips ou l plates 12. i

20 and intermediate these lips the metal of the end plate 12 is extended outwardly to form an ear 21 for a purpose to be described. The other end plate 12 is provided with an inwardly extending portion 22 arranged in alinement with the lips 20. A stora e battery of the usual type is adaptedv to arranged within the support as shown in solid lines in Figure 2 and' in dotted lines in Figure 1. The battery restsupon the strap 14 and the front and rear walls thereof substantially tit the space between the lips 15 insertion and removal from the support. As

"nuts 26 are adapted to against endwise movement.

' A32 of the bar 5d.

and the lips`20 and-inwardly extending portion 22. .n f

Means are provided for clamping the end plates l2 against the ends of the battery in such a manner that 'when'the clamping means are released, the battery is'adaped to loosely tit within the end plates'lto permit its ready shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3', the numeral 2t designates a clamping bar which is substantially circular in cross section at one end and threaded as at 25. The threaded'end 25 extends through an open-ing in the ear r21 and secure the bar 2li The opposite end of lthe bar 24C' is flattened as at 26, and at a point spaced from the extremity of the barl the latteris provided with a bearing opening 27.. 'lhe end of. the bar adjacent the bearing 27 extends a substantial distance therebeyond as at 23 for a purpose to Ibe described. The inwardly extending ortion 22 is provided with a pair of space extended ends curved as at 291to provide bearings. A. shaft `30 is rotatable in the bearings 29 as shown inlligure 1, and the shaft is provided intermediate its ends with a crank 31. The crank is adapted to be arranged in the bearing 27 of the bar 24. lln order to permit the insertion of thecrank 31, the bar 24 is provided witha portion 32- bent back upon the bar. A. portion oi the backwardly bent endl toi-ins a part oi'the bearing 27 as will be apparent. en inserting the crank l31 the end 32 of the bar maybe swung 4 outwardly after which it may be soldered or otherwise secured to the body portion of the bar. Any suitable means, however, maybe employed for `forming thebearing 27. The shaft 30 extends upwardly at least to the. top oi the battery asshown in Figure 1. and

- is provided atits upper end with an operat- Qmay be A ot the shaitm may be providedwi port,

ing handle 33 by vniveaus-,oit which 'the shait rotated..` Under` seine conditions, there is insucientroom adjacent the support to permit rotation of 'the' shaftV 30 by the handle 33 in'which case the uppllr end e reed to be `received in ,lygonal'portion-tsd adapito mntth Et y per i t lana y lasuitable socket wrenc to be turn'. y Figures 5, d and 7 of the drawings l have shown 'a' inodied ,torni ci supporto elements'oi the modied yterm-are sub-A stantially the same asin the term previously described and need not be reterre to in de-v tail. ln the mcdied form et thesupport, the inwardly extended portion 22 previously referred'toasomitted andv the lips 20 and 2l are duplicated at opposite ends ci the sup-' as will apparent. I dn operating rod 35 is provided fior drawing the ends 12 oi the support inwardly. This rod has a threaded end@ entcng through an opening in the adjacent enr 21 while nuts 3i are recursos provided for drawing the ends 12 of the sup? andle portion 41 and acam portion 42 having a high point 43. y yThe cam is bifurcated to receive the flattened end of the bar 35 and a pivot pin 44 connects the bar 35 to the cam y lever, as will beapparent. n v

The operation of the form of the invention illustrated in Figures 1. to Sinclusive is asfollows: l

'The handle '33 is rotated in "a counterclockwise direction from the position shown in Figure 1 whereby rotation of the crank 31 pushesthe rod 2li `to slightly separate the end plates 12.y This action also moves the lips 20and inwardly extended portion i2` of portctogether. As shown, the lever hasl al the support outwardly slightly from their f normal position. The battery then may be inserted inpositionas shown in dotted lines in Figure 1, the bottom of the battery resting upon the sfrap 1li. The handle 33 is then rotated in a clockwise direction, thus drawf wardly snuglyagainst the iront tace of the battery. 'ln practice it has been found that thev clamping actionl is very ecient and 'firmly supports the battery against displacement, and since the supporting action is accomplished by gripping Aagainst the sides .and ends of the battery no damage is done to the sealing material in the top of the battery. en the device is in clamped position, the end 28 0i the bar 2li contacts with the outer :tace ot the inwardly extended portion 22 to limit the turning movement ci the'shait 30. AS the crank 31 approaches its limit of movement, the center oi the'crank passes a line between the center of the shaft 30 andV the center of the opposite end of the bar24 as shown in Figure 2, and hence it will be apparent that the gripping action, exerted wllhold the cranl 3i in operative position. The operation ci the torni ci the device shown in Figure d is the same as that previously described except that a suitable spiclt nobisv employed for rotating 'the s a "in the form ofthe device shown in Fignres 5. 6 and ithehandle 41 is swunglto the dottedline position in Figure o and the rcbattery may be placed in position. The handle 4.1 is then moved in a counter-clockwise direction to the solid line position in Figure 6. This action causes the cam 42 to contact with the outer face ot the adjacent lip 21, thus drawing the end plates of the support together. Movement of the handle 41 is limited by contact between the handle and the outer face of the adjacent end plate 12. As the lever 40 approaches its limit of movement it will be apparent that the high point 4i, of the cam passes the center line of the bar 35 and consequently the clamping action will hold the lever l0 in clamping position thus preventing it from accidentally swinging to open position. lIn the modified form of the invention it also will be apparent that the clamping action is exerted against the ends of the battery, thus preventing damage thereto in the manner previously referred to. The modified form of the invention is preferably employed on vehicles where more room is available for the operation of the clamping means at the end thanl at the side .of the battery.

It is to be understood that the forms of the invention herewith shown and described are to be taken as preferred examples of the same and that various changes in the shape,v

size and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope ot' the subjoined claims.

I claim:

1. A `battery support comprising a pair of side plates, a bottom strap member suspended from said side plates and adapted to sup-l port a battery therebetween, a clamping bar connected at one'end to one ot' said side plates, and means connected between the 0pposite end of said clamping bar and the other of said side plates for drawing them together whereby said side plateswill be clamped against opposite sides of the battery, said means including a rotatable operi ating shaft carried by said last named side plate.

2. A device constructed in accordance with claim 1 wherein the last named end of said clampin bar is provided with an opening, said shalt being provided with a crank arranged in said opening.

. A battery support comprising an integral frame, said frame including'a pair of side plates, a lip carried by each side plate near one end thereof, and extending inwardly therefrom, an inwardly extending member carried by the opposite end of one of said plates, the opposite end of. the other of'said side plates being provided with an inwardly extending lip arranged in alinement with said inwardly extending member, an ear extending from said last named side plate and forming asubstantial continuation therefl'a. bottom strap member carried by said side plates and adapted to support a battery between said side plates, and between said lips and said inwardly extending member, and means `connected between said inwardly extendin member and said ear-for drawingsaid side plates toward each other to clamped position against the battery, said first named lips and said inwardly extending member and said last named lip being adapted to engage the battery when said plates are in clamped position.

4'. A device constructed in accordance with 5 claim 3 wherein said means `includes a clamping bar pivotally connected at one end to said ear, and means connected between the opposite end of said bar and said inwardly extending member for drawing them together.

5. A device constructed in accordance with claim 3 wherein said means comprises a clamping., har pivotally connected at one end to said ear and provided near its opposite end with a vertical opening, and a vertical shaft rotatably carried by said inwardly extending member, said shaft being provided with a crank arranged in said opening whereby rotation of said shaft in one direction is adapted to move said crank to operative position to draw said plates into clamping engagement with opposite sides of 4the battery, said crank being arranged to pass the center of said shaft as said crank approaches operative position,l said bar being provided beyond said crank with an extended portion adapted to contact with said inwardly extending member to limit the movement of said crank beyond operative position.

In testimony whereof l allixmy signature.

HENRY L. ANDREXVS. 

